Releasable car-stake.



' J. G. SG HROBDEL.

RBLEASABLE OAR STAKE. AFPLIGATION nun mm: 27. 1910.

Patented. Apr. 18, 1911.

2 mums-sum 1.

J. G. SCHROEDEL.

- RELBASABLB OAR 91111111. 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 JOHN G. SGHROEDEL, 0F MGKENNA, WASHINGTON.

RELEASABLE CAR-STAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed June 27, 1910. Serial No. 569,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. ScHRonnnL, a citizen of the United States,residing at McKenna, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasable Car-Stakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in lumber and freight cars orvehicles and more particularly to releasable stakes therefor and meansfor tilting the load supporting bunkers or beams whereby the load oflogs or other freight may be readily discharged.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved releasable carstake which will be simple, practical and highly efficient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasable car stake inconnection with means for tilting the load supporting bunkers or beams.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a portion ofa car illustrating the application of my invention thereto, the partsbeing in normal position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section taken on the plane indicated by the line8-3 in Fig. 2 but showing the parts in their released or tiltedpositions; Fig. 4 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and Figs.5, 6 and 7 are detail views.

ings 1 denotes a portion of a freight car or other vehicle and 2 denotesa load supporting member in the form of a bunker or beam preferablycomposed of spaced eye beams suitably bolted or otherwise securedtogether. This supporting member or bunker 2 extends transversely of thecar and is mounted on a longitudinally extending pivot 3 located at apoint a little to one side of the center of the member 2 whereby one endof the latter will be overbalanced and will tilt downwardly when notsupported in a plane parallel with the top of the car frame or platform,thereby allowing the logs or other load to roll off of the car.

To prevent the short end of the member or bunker 2 from tiltingdownwardly, a stop 4: may be arranged on the car beneath it, and tosupport the longer end of said member when the logs or other load are onthe car, I provide a pair of supporting links 5, 6 which are pivotallyunited at 7 and one of which is pivoted at 8 to the long end of themember 2 while the other is pivotally connected to an operating rod 9which extends longitudinally along the member to the short end of thesame. The rod 9 may be suitably guided and its free end is adapted to beengaged by a latch 10 pivotally mounted at 11 and in turn engaged by alocking member 12. The latter is of right angular shape, being pivotallymounted at 13 and provided at one end with a crank handle 141. When theparts are in their normal positions shown in Fig. 1 and it is desired totilt the supporting member or beam 2, the locking member 12 is actuatedto release the latch lever 10, which latter in turn releases the rod 9,whereupon the weight of the load and the overbalanced long end of themember 2 will cause said end to tilt downwardly.

To retain the logs or other load on the supporting member 2, I prefer toprovide a stationary stake 15 at the short end of said member and areleasable stake 16 at the long end of the same. This releasable stake16 is pivotally mounted at its inner end, as

shown at 17 between the spaced eye beams Referring more particularly tothe drawforming said member 2 and to its outer end is pivoted asupporting link 18 having a hook-shaped free end 19. When the stake 16is in its operative position it inclines upwardly and outwardly whilethe supporting link 18 is disposed vertically and has its end 19arranged in a notch or seat 20, said link 18 being retained in positionby a stop arm 21 fixed centrally to a transverse pivot rod 22 mounted inbearings 23 on the ends of the two eye beams. On the outer end of thepivot rod or shaft 22 is a depending arm 24 adapted to be engaged by oneend of a latch lever 25 fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 26 on theouter side of one of the eye beams. The inner end of the lever 25 has aright angularly projecting arm'27 arranged in the path of a stationarytrip or stop 28 secured on the frame or platform of the car 1 and sopositioned that when the long end of the member 2 tilts downwardly thearm 27 will be operated to cause the latch 25 to release the arm 24 andconsequently cause the arm 21 to release the supporting link or brace18, whereupon the stake 16 will drop below the plane of the upper facesof the eye beams and permit the logs to roll freely off of the can WVhenthe member 2 tilts the hook-shaped lower end 19 of the link 18 isadapted to engage a keeper 29 in the form of an angle iron carried bythe car, thereby causing the member 2 to be locked in its tiltedposition.

In operation, it will be seen that when the parts are in normalposition, the link 18 will support the releasable stake 16 and the twolinks 5, 6 being disposed in upwardly diverging relation will supportthe member 2 against tilting movement. WVhen it is desired to releasethe load, it isonly necessary to swing the crank arm 14 to cause the arm10 to release the rod 9, whereupon the weight of the load and the longend of the member 2 will tilt the latter and the arm 27 of the latchlever 25 coming in contact with the stationary trip 28 will cause saidlever to release the arm 24 so that the weight of the logs or loadbearing against the stake 16 will cause the latter to drop and permitthe link 18 to engage the keeper 29.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a simpleand practical device of this character which will enable a load of logsto be readily dumped without danger to the operator since he stands onone side of the car while thelogs are dropped from the other side of thesame. Furthermore, the parts are so constructed that they will besecurely held in normal position and may be easily released to dump theload.

While I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited tothe precise construction set forth since various changes in the form,proportion, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination of a tilting load support, means forsustaining the same, a releasable stake on said load support, and meansfor holding said stake in operative position, the last mentioned meansbeing automatically released on the tilting of the load support.

2.111 a vehicle, the combination of a shiftable load supporting means, aholding means for said load supporting means, a releasable stakeandmeans controlled by the movement of said shiftable load supportingmeans for holding the stake in operative position.

3. In a vehicle, the combination of an overbalanced pivotally mountedload support, a supporting means for the overbalanced portion of saidload support, means for holding and releasing said supporting means, areleasable stake on said load support, a holding means for said stake,and a stationary trip arranged in the path of and adapted to actuate thestake holding means whereby the stake will be released when the loadsupport tilts.

4;. In a vehicle, the combination of a support, a load supporting memberpivoted adjacent its center on said support whereby one of its ends isoverbalanced, supporting links between said support and the overbalancedend of said member, means for holding and releasing said links and areleasable car stake on the over-balanced end of said member andcontrolled by the tilting of the latter,

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a support, a load supporting memberpivoted adjacent its center on said support whereby one of its ends isoverbalanced, supporting links between said support and the overbalanced end of said member, an operating rod extending from saidsupporting links, a holding member for said rod, a locking member forthe last mentioned holding member and a releasable stake controlled bythe tilting of said member.

6. In a vehicle, the combination of a tilting load supporting member,means for supporting and releasing the same, a releasable stakepivotally connected to said member, a supporting link for said stake,and a holding member for said link controlled by the tilting movement ofsaid load supporting member. V

7. In a vehicle, the combination of a tilting load supporting member,means for supporting and releasing the same, a releasable stakepivotally connected to said member, a supporting link for said stake, aholding member for said link, a latch lever co-acting with said holdingmember and a stationary trip arranged in the path of said latch leverand adapted to cause the same to release the holding member when theload supporting member tilts.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of a support, a keeper thereon, atilting load supporting member on said support, means for supporting andreleasing said member, a In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix mypivotally mpulliited stakfi on said mimber, g signature in the presenceof two witnesses. supporting in ivota y eonnecte to sai stake andhavirlg means to engage said JOHN SGHROEDEL' keeper, and a holding meansfor said link Witnesses:

controlled by the tilting of said load sup- WM. P. HOPPING,

porting member. GEORGE SEYFRIED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

